Rip Report....

March 31, 2003 11:13 PM from

This website http://www.macoszone.com has ripped my walls without my permission. I have sent them a cease and desist e-mail. I suggest other authors check to see if they have been ripped too.
Judging by the extract from their terms of use page below, they claim to understand copyright laws. I think they need to take another look at the laws!

TRADEMARKS & COPYRIGHTS

This site is controlled and operated by Mac OS Zone, 3915 Avera Ave., Winston-Salem, NC 27106-1601. All material on this site, including, but not limited to: images, illustrations, icons, and desktop patterns or pictures, is protected by copyrights that are owned and controlled by Mac OS Zone or by other parties that have licensed their material to Mac OS Zone ("Copyrights").

10,333 views 46 replies

Reply #1 March 31, 2003 11:17 PM from

WinCustomize Forums Top

I also suggest skin and wall authors check this site too: http://winboost.free.fr/ I found lots of my stuff on here too!

Reply #2 March 31, 2003 11:19 PM from

WinCustomize Forums Top

Damned people have NO respect for us skinners and artists.

Reply #3 March 31, 2003 11:30 PM from

WinCustomize Forums Top

Bryan....sent MacOS Zone my standard 'rip' email...we'll see what happens...

Reply #4 March 31, 2003 11:33 PM from

WinCustomize Forums Top

....and the Froggy one as well...

Reply #5 March 31, 2003 11:34 PM from

WinCustomize Forums Top

I just left them some "Feedback",,ar,ar,ar.Theives.Very,very rude I think.

Reply #6 March 31, 2003 11:35 PM from

WinCustomize Forums Top

This site has LOTS of stuff...including works by myself, Jafo, Treetog and mobiusCo among others.
http://gws.cz/gws/index.php

Reply #7 March 31, 2003 11:48 PM from

WinCustomize Forums Top

It's sad that some people want recognition so bad they will steal other's work to represent as their own. >

Expose them for what they are and do.

Reply #8 March 31, 2003 11:56 PM from

WinCustomize Forums Top

OK...and that one, too...

Reply #9 March 31, 2003 11:58 PM from

WinCustomize Forums Top

They all appear to be crediting the original authors....which at least isn't false representation......it's just that permission is needed FIRST to host the works...

Reply #10 April 1, 2003 12:02 AM from

WinCustomize Forums Top

"Artist Unknown",Right.There must be more that can be done.Has anyone looked at any similar cases involving courts and judgments.Has this been done?Has anyone sued successfully I wonder?

Reply #11 April 1, 2003 12:04 AM from

WinCustomize Forums Top

Jafo:Lots of the walls on the first BoXXi link were "Artist Unknown",I think.I did not look super hard but I did see many there that did not belong.

Reply #12 April 1, 2003 12:12 AM from

WinCustomize Forums Top

brazil...I know.
As far as I can tell, all of the images/works are there on all of them without specific individual consent, ergo, ALL ARE STOLEN, ie., copyright theft....as they are distributed without express specific permission.

I've indicated as much to all three sites.

Reply #13 April 1, 2003 12:46 AM from

WinCustomize Forums Top

can I make a suggestion? ...take a work that is ripped and ripped a lot and register it with the Copyright Office. While all original creative work is protected under the copyright laws it has to be taken into account that with un-registered work, the burden of proof is on the creator of that work while with registered work, the burden of proof is on the 'thief'. With that burden meant on the part of the creator the courts assume that a denial of entitlement as taken place in favor of the creator allowing monatary remedy. One of the best examples of loss of due rights occured with the Beatles, who did not register their works prior to 1966, but a record company did. The band members could not meet the burden of proof of their creation and lost any and all rights to those creations. As a matter of info the copyrights and all monies generated by those rights belong to Michael Jackson (ugh).

Just a thought...

Reply #14 April 1, 2003 12:59 AM from

WinCustomize Forums Top

yrag...the majority of works on those sites have the correct 'credits', so it's only a matter of showing that, eg, I am the 'Jafo' whose work they are displaying and their goose is cooked.....their arse is grass and they have no leg to stand on...[and countless other phrases]....

Reply #15 April 1, 2003 1:10 AM from

WinCustomize Forums Top

I agree completely with you and understand the anger any artist would feel when their work is taken and shown without permission, credit or no credit. I only propose that if you placed yourself in an unbeatable position, all's you'd have to do is slam-dunk one of these SOBs and no one with two brain cells would ever steal your work again.

I'm not sure cause you're the expert...but I think 'arse' is spelled 'ass' even downunder

Reply #16 April 1, 2003 1:18 AM from

WinCustomize Forums Top

No, it ain't.....'arse' is correct....unless you are talking about the animal...

Reply #17 April 1, 2003 1:25 AM from

WinCustomize Forums Top

maybe if if I start saying it with an accent people around here will know what I'm calling them

Reply #18 April 1, 2003 1:28 AM from

WinCustomize Forums Top

ohhh..I just looked out by backdoor....my yard is full of dingos

Reply #19 April 1, 2003 4:39 AM from

WinCustomize Forums Top

hmm strange how these sites end up Japanese or something like that, see they got Colony too :/

Reply #20 April 1, 2003 4:44 AM from

WinCustomize Forums Top

I see, that winboost site has 2 of my cursor xp skins ripped...

Reply #21 April 1, 2003 6:00 AM from

WinCustomize Forums Top

I just checked Winboost and I saw wallpapers and skins I know that are rips.

Reply #22 April 1, 2003 6:37 AM from

WinCustomize Forums Top

yeah, all cursor xp's are ripped,
as I remember:
copperdeck II (treetog)
Pixtudio (treetog)
lighten wood (me)
Blue rainn (me)
Colony (mikeB)
Black and Blue 2 (GreatSilverWyrm)
Gold'NSilver (starone)

just a fieuw, could find more...

Reply #23 April 1, 2003 11:06 AM from

WinCustomize Forums Top

LOl the czech one has one of my NS themes. Hmmm that's not funny.

Reply #24 April 1, 2003 11:09 AM from

WinCustomize Forums Top

wow, I haven't seen some of those skins in a long time. Some really great, classic skins there.

Reply #25 April 1, 2003 11:12 AM from

WinCustomize Forums Top

Winboost even swiped my JWood icons...Amazing. I never dreamed anyone would ever take the stuff I post.

Welcome Guest! Please take the time to register with us.

Richer content, access to many features that are disabled for guests like commenting and posting on the forums.
Access to a great community, with a massive database of many, many areas of interest.
Access to contests & subscription offers like exclusive emails.
It's simple, and FREE!